New Student Equity Action Network aims to bring together students working on equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives at UBC and to catalyze collaborations, knowledge exchange, and maximize the impact of student efforts.
Creating change is hard, let alone at large institutions such as UBC. It’s easy to feel lost and overwhelmed within its vast ecosystem of knowledge, resources, and initiatives.
For students, it can be particularly lonely.
Network expands on similar faculty and staff efforts
While existing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) networks and communities provide opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration, knowledge sharing, and learning, most are largely faculty and staff-focused. As a result, student leaders striving to make UBC a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive place are often left working in silos.
Launched in November 2022, the Student Equity Action Network seeks to fill this gap by providing a campus-wide network centred on supporting student experience and engagement. Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students involved in an EDI initiative at UBC can tap into the network to find community, exchange ideas, and enhance their self-efficacy. Through resource-sharing, networking, and capacity-building, students can expect to develop competencies on justice, equity, decolonization, Indigenization and inclusion (JEDII), as well as a better understanding of barriers to JEDII at UBC.
Students to shape network’s direction
In the spirit of supporting student leadership and engagement and best address community needs, students are being invited to shape the direction and vision of the Student Equity Action Network at an upcoming Meet & Greet event on November 24.